Luke quietly looked at the nine brides standing before him on the altar. Although their faces were hidden beneath their veils, he could recognize every one of them without difficulty.
A faint smile appeared on his face before he looked back at the priest.
The priest gave a gentle nod.
"Marriage is built upon the promises made between those who choose to share their lives together. Those promises are given freely, sincerely, and with the intention of honoring them throughout life's journey."
He turned toward the groom.
"Groom, you may now share your vows."
"Well," Luke began, "I don't think ordinary wedding vows really fit someone like me."
A few guests smiled quietly.
"My life will be far longer than most people can imagine. Years, decades, centuries... perhaps even longer. Because of that, the promises I make today aren't just for tomorrow or the years ahead."
He paused for a brief moment.
"I promise that for as long as I exist, I will love all of you with all my heart."
"I promise to stand beside you in times of happiness and in times of hardship. When you need someone to rely on, I will be there."
"When you lose your way, I will help you find it again. When the world stands against you, it will have to stand against me first."
"I cannot promise that life will always be peaceful. We all know too well that dangers exist and that hardships are inevitable. But I do promise that you will never have to face them alone."
He looked at each of the nine brides one by one.
"As long as I draw breath, I will protect you. If time itself becomes our enemy, then I will walk through time with you. If the universe changes around us, then I will remain by your side through every change."
"My life may be unimaginably long, but I don't want to spend that eternity alone. I want to spend it with all of you."
"So today, before everyone gathered here, I promise to cherish you, respect you, support you, and love you — not just for a lifetime, but for every tomorrow that awaits us. That is my vow."
The priest smiled gently before turning toward the brides.
"Brides, you may now share your vows."
Natasha spoke first. "We swear..."
Wanda continued in a calm voice. "...that we will love you with all our hearts."
Jean took the next sentence without hesitation. "We swear..."
Esdeath continued. "...that no matter where life takes you, our place will always be beside you."
Selene spoke next. "We swear..."
Jill followed naturally. "...that we will share your happiness, your burdens, your victories, and your failures without ever turning away."
Alice looked toward Luke. "We swear..."
Clarice continued the promise. "...that when you are tired, we will stand beside you. When you are lost, we will remind you where home is. When you carry too much alone, we will carry it with you."
Tauriel completed the final part of the vow.
"We swear that no matter how many years pass, no matter how long your life may become, our choice will never change. We have chosen you today, and we will continue choosing you every day that follows."
For the first time since the vows had begun, all nine brides spoke together.
"We will not let you bear your eternity alone."
"We will stay with you through every tomorrow, every century, and every lifetime that awaits us."
"As long as you continue walking forward, you will always find us beside you."
"This is our vow."
The priest smiled warmly.
"With the vows now exchanged, you may exchange the wedding rings."
For the first time during the ceremony, Luke paused. He looked at the ring box, then at the nine brides standing before him.
"Well... this is slightly inconvenient."
He walked toward the ring box and opened it. Nine wedding rings slowly floated into the air behind him as the guests watched curiously.
Then, as though they had already discussed it beforehand, all nine brides extended their left hands at exactly the same time.
Luke looked at the nine outstretched hands and smiled.
"So... you think this will stump me?"
The next instant, he disappeared from where he was standing. To the guests, it was a fraction of a second. Before anyone could react, he was already back in his original position.
At the same moment, every wedding ring had already been placed perfectly onto the correct finger.
Only those with extraordinary perception — Charles, Erik, Steve, and Tony's suit sensors — realized what had happened.
Luke hadn't teleported.
He had simply moved so fast that nobody had been able to follow him.
The applause had barely begun when another problem immediately appeared.
Nine small ring boxes were presented. All nine brides reached for Luke's left hand at the exact same time.
For a brief second, every one of them paused.
Nobody wanted to be second.
Natasha calmly stepped forward. "I'll do it."
Before she could move, Wanda gently caught Luke's hand first. "I think I should."
Esdeath smiled. "Why don't I go first?"
Jill shook her head. "We're all exchanging rings. Nobody gets special treatment."
Alice nodded. "She's right."
Clarice and Selene had already moved closer without saying a word, while Jean and Tauriel also stepped forward, each unwilling to wait for the others.
Luke looked at the nine brides surrounding his left hand and silently sighed.
Tony immediately raised his phone with a grin.
"Yep... this is exactly the moment I was waiting for."
The camera shutter clicked repeatedly as he happily recorded the scene.
Luke looked at the nine brides still gently pulling at his arm before letting out a helpless sigh.
"Ummm... I don't think the position matters." He looked at all of them with a small smile.
"Just put the rings on."
The brides looked at one another. After a brief moment, they finally nodded in agreement.
One by one, each of them slid her ring onto Luke's finger.
As the ninth and final ring settled into place, a soft golden glow emerged from the rings.
Before the surprised eyes of everyone present, the nine rings resonated with one another — the light grew brighter for only a brief moment before slowly merging together, seamlessly combining into a single wedding ring on Luke's finger.
*****
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